We all know a good ad when we see it. But what makes it so powerful? Marketers have been pondering this question for years, oftentimes relying on judgment and hunches to fill in the blanks. Today, however, consumer neuroscience can shed some light on this age-old challenge.

Ad compression is just one application of consumer neuroscience, but it’s one that offers considerable rewards for all. Advertisers can spend less. For publishers that advertise their own shows, consumer neuroscience allows them to reclaim inventory to sell, or to advertise their own shows more without reducing the inventory they can sell externally. And agencies can use consumer neuroscience as a tool for creating the most productive advertising for their clients.

Imagine trimming back a 30-second TV spot to 20, 15 or even 10 seconds in a way that maintains, or in many cases increases, the ad’s impact. In a worldwide video advertising industry worth hundreds of billions of dollars, the potential is immense.